Jump to content

Procycling thread


myshkin

Recommended Posts

Not at all. What's ludicrous is to suggest that even if no one was taking banned substances that the richest teams wouldn't be able to buy the best legal substances,

These chemicals are often banned for damn good reasons. They are lethal. They push your body beyond its limits, change your internal chemestry, some are cancerous others effectively partially change your sex.

The difference is over the past 10 years the cycling circuit has cracked down on the issue. Now we are far more certain the teams are largely clean.

Distance cycling is hours of hell on earth. It takes legs of steel, lungs like balloons and an unbreakable will to keep going to get in good times over long distances. I dont want good young lads dying on the road in some amateur sportif because its now cool to take amphetamines and push your heart beyond its limits. If your fit and in form, when you bonk you bonk because there is nothing left to give, your body is done. Chemicals that push you beyond that (sometimes not realising) can kill.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

laugh.gif Wiggins chasing down the men out front & leading out the sprint, is there any limit to this man capabilities?

Even I raised my eyebrows at that today, and you all know how naively trustworthy I am when it comes to the sport.

If, SKY are doping though, so are Liquigas, Nibali and Sagan in particular.

I wish we could forget about any of this pish, and just talk about the racing though.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Anyhow back to the race for a second. The only possibility of any excitement is if Froome actually attacks Wiggins in the Pyrenees. Is it possible? Froome lost his chance of Vuelta victory last year, after working for Wiggins, what better payback? Na I`m just dreaming eh?

IMO, following last seasons Vuelta & this years showing in Le Tour, Froome has clearly got the capability of beating Wiggins.

However, he's not top dog in the team, will be on a fraction of the cash Wiggo is, has been signed to do a certain job & is not the darling of the English press (how many times do we have to hear he's Kenyan, whilst Brad's Belgian heritage is overlooked).

Just the other day I was thinking Sky may well fcuk it up like it did last season in Spain, by reigning Froome in, & it remains to be seen whether that proves to be the case again. Throw away two Grand Tours, I'd imagine somebody would have to be brought to task if that were to happen?

Should he remain with Sky next season, I'd expect Froome to be on the alternative squad to Wiggins, targeting the Giro/Vuelta double. Not playing second fiddle to a guy who can't hold his wheel when it comes down to it.

Interesting to note Juan José Cobo, last years Vuelta winner, is currently 34th, 54'40'' behind.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

IMO, following last seasons Vuelta & this years showing in Le Tour, Froome has clearly got the capability of beating Wiggins.

However, he's not top dog in the team, will be on a fraction of the cash Wiggo is, has been signed to do a certain job & is not the darling of the English press (how many times do we have to hear he's Kenyan, whilst Brad's Belgian heritage is overlooked).

How many years does Froome have on his contract? He could easily be top man elsewhere.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

How many years does Froome have on his contract? He could easily be top man elsewhere.

Contracted til 2014

That may well be down to him showing him doing as he's told, following orders, making sure Wiggins is in yellow come Paris & taking it from there.

In general, being a "good guy" & not upsetting the applecart. Helps to make more friends in cycling, than enemies, as you'll never know when favours have to get pulled back in.

Bound to be galling though. Knowing you've had two of the three GT's within your grasp. Only to have those hopes crushed by team orders.

If he stays with Sky they owe him big time &, as I suggest, should have him on the opposite roster to Wiggo from now on.

Edited by kiddy
Link to comment
Share on other sites

These chemicals are often banned for damn good reasons. They are lethal. They push your body beyond its limits, change your internal chemestry, some are cancerous others effectively partially change your sex.

The difference is over the past 10 years the cycling circuit has cracked down on the issue. Now we are far more certain the teams are largely clean.

Distance cycling is hours of hell on earth. It takes legs of steel, lungs like balloons and an unbreakable will to keep going to get in good times over long distances. I dont want good young lads dying on the road in some amateur sportif because its now cool to take amphetamines and push your heart beyond its limits. If your fit and in form, when you bonk you bonk because there is nothing left to give, your body is done. Chemicals that push you beyond that (sometimes not realising) can kill.

I've got no idea who's clean and who isn't, but according to some people on this thread, virtually none of the world's elite road cyclists are. If so many riders are already taking banned substances, but not getting caught (albeit they are under suspicion), surely it makes more sense to bring it out into the open, make it safer and make it a level playing field.

Yes, in an ideal world none of them would be taking any of these substances, but that's never going to happen with the rewards for cheating so high, especially in such a physically demanding sport as road cycling.

At the very least this a debate that should be happening in the sport, bringing out all the pros and cons and eventually coming to a rational decision.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Overcast in the Pyrenees today, going up into the cold & cloud. Descents could be crucial today, a chance for Nibali & Evans to attack.

Stage won by LL Sanchez in a break containing Gilbert & Sagan, but stage wasted GCwise by some twat spreading tacs at the summit of the last climb.

Multiple punctures suffered by half a dozen riders, most notably Evans & Wiggans

Edited by kiddy
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Today's stage was turned into a farce after more than 30 riders suffered punctures due to carpet tacks being left on the track. Wiggins instructed he peleton to stop and allow the affected riders, including Cadel, catch up.

I wonder if those fools that ruined the race in Perthshire a few years ago are on holiday in the Pyrenees?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I wonder if those fools that ruined the race in Perthshire a few years ago are on holiday in the Pyrenees?

that was just one old guy who wasn't even prosecuted due to being a nice, middle class rotary club member.

the tour is over anyway. everyone is settling for what they have at the moment. :(

Link to comment
Share on other sites

that was just one old guy who wasn't even prosecuted due to being a nice, middle class rotary club member.

the tour is over anyway. everyone is settling for what they have at the moment. :(

aye,its just the individual stages now.great to see FDJ getting a couple of stages this year,good ones too,fedrigo did great yesterday,a real masterclass.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Frank Schleck has failed a doping test. Can this sport take any more scandals?

What a stroke of luck, his brother breaking his pelvis was then. :rolleyes:

Imagine how it would have looked against his "Tour win" if he'd have been caught too? :o

I just hope it wasn't something as small as 50 picograms/ml. <_<

Edited by kiddy
Link to comment
Share on other sites

It obviously wasn't performance enhancing. Either that or I'd want my money back.

Perhaps used as a masking agent for something else? It`s a strange case really. Frank has been well off the pace most of the year, struggling back in 12th at this Tour. Is there not some controversy over non payment of salary from his team? Could be an easy way to get rid of him, wearing my cynical hat of course, but then you get used to that as a cycling fan.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It could be a cheap way for Radioshack to get shot of him considering the brothers have already got a new team sponsor (Alpecin) set up for next season. This time it could be the team screwing the rider, rather than the other way round.

After all, what have Radioshck got to lose anymore, they'll be gone by the end of the Vuelta.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Schleck requesting B sample, but has already denied taken anything & says he`s been poisoned, where have we heard that before? laugh.gif

Anyway on to todays stage in the Pyrenees & a large group out front over the Aubisque. Tourmalet next, but not really expecting much action until the final climb of the Peyresourde.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...